Robot Design Concept

Designed by new FRC CAD members during the 2022 FRC off-season, this robot served as a practical test for the team's ability to design mechanisms from scratch and to integrate them. 

The new CAD members were designing in a team setting for the first time. The intent was to develop the team members skills for the upcoming competition season. Members were allowed to try designing mechanisms anyway they wished, even if the plan was rather ambitious. 

The robot utilizes a Swerve drivebase with the Swerve X modules from West Coast Products. 

The robot used a 2 stage continuous lift so that it could reach high enough for the claw to deposit Power Cubes at an elevated Plate for the Scale. The continuous lift used the double spool method to drive the lift. 

The claw is the most interesting part of the robot. It is a combination of both a gripper and roller claw. The thought was that in the event the Power Cube was slanted when entering the roller claw, the arms of the claw could widen to make it easier for the claw to reorientate the Power Cube. This would allow for the claw to more seemlessly pick up the Power Cube from a greater variety of orientations. The gripper part of this claw is accomplished by using pneumatics, while the roller part of the claw is done by using motors and a series of belts. 

The claw is mounted on a wrist as this was needed to keep the claw within a legal starting position before then expanding it outward to grab Power Cubes. 

Robot Design Learnings

This robot was never built, so it is unknown how well the design would truly function in a real world setting. That being said, there are still some designs learnings from looking at just the CAD. 

What Worked Well

The claw was relatively effectively designed. By drawing manipulating a Power Cube in Fusion 360 and testing various angles that the cube could enter the robot, it is believed that the claw would effectively perform its intended function. 

What Could Be Improved

A major point of potential improvement would be to make the continuous lift work properly. The main issue was seeing how the second stage would try to move past the static stage as the lift travels up.